Ski boot sole protector



Aug. 2, 1966 1.. COHEN ETAL SKI BOOT SOLE PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 14, 1964 INVENTORS LINDA COHEN,# SCAN E MlLLlG-AN ATTORNEHs United States Patent 3,263,348 SKI BQOT SULE PRGTECTGR Linda Cohen, 278 State St, San Francisco, Calif, and JCoalr} Elizabeth Milligan, 1518 S. 59th St, Richmond,

Filed Jan. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 337,654 1 Qlaim. (Cl. 36-25) This invention relates to a novel ski boot sole protector.

Ski boot soles usually have non-skid ridges and grooves which are provided for anti-slip contact with skis. Walking on snow or ice surfaces produces undesirable ac cumulations of snow in the grooves of the soles, and in the grooves around the tops of the soles between the soles and the uppers of the boots, and these accumulations must be removed with considerable trouble and work, before the boots can be safely secured to skis. Further, walking on surfaces, other than snow, as in a ski hut or the like, produces undesirable wearing of the boot sole ridges which reduces not only their safety for skiing but also their useful life.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of an efficient, practical, and easily and quickly installed protector for ski boot soles which eliminates the above outlined difliculties and disadvantages, which is of minimal bulk and weight, and which is adapted to be instantly pulled off a ski boot, and folded and carried inconspicuously in a garment pocket.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a protector of the character indicated above, which comprises a flexible pan-shaped cover, shaped to the form of a ski boot sole, the sidewall of the cover being taller than the sole, and terminating, at its upper edge, in a continuous tube, which contains an elastic draw-strin g, so that the tube is contracted around the top of the sole, and into the groove which exists between the top of the sole and the boot upper, whereby the protector is secured conforrnably in place.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a ski boot and an associated protector, before application to the boot sole;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the protector installed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the protector, per se, showing the tube thereof opened up and exposing the elastic draw-string.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a conventional ski boot is shown, which comprises a sole 12, provided, on its bottom, with anti-slip ridges 14 and intervening grooves 16. The boot sole 12 has a peripheral edge 18, and an upper surface or top 20, adjacent to the edge 18. The boot upper 22 is joined to the top of the sole 12, at a location spaced laterally inwardly from the peripheral edge 18, in such a way that a groove 24 is defined between and extends around the upper 22 and the sole 12.

The illustrated protector 26 comprises a pan-shaped cover of suitable flexible material, such as nylon, having Patented August 2, 1866 a bottom wall 28, and a sidewall 35). As clearly shown in FIGURE 3, the cover sidewall is taller than the boot sole 12, so that when the cover is in place on the boot sole 12, the sidewall 3t) extends above the top 24) of the sole.

The upper part of the cover sidewall 30 is turned laterally inwardly and under and is sewed, as indicated at 32, adjacent to its otherwise free edge 34, to the sidewall, so as to form a tube 36, extending entirely around the sidewall. Before the tube 36 is formed and sewed, a preferably continuous elastic draw-string 38 is enclosed within the tube 35. The length of the draw-string 38 is such that when the tube 36 is placed around the top of the boot sole 12 and released, the draw-string will contract with sutficient force to gather the sidewall 30 and the tube 36, as indicated at 40, and securably engage the tube 36, over the top of the boot sole, and in the groove 24 between the sole l2 and the upper 22 of the sole, thereby reliably holding the cover in place.

In operation, the installed protector serves to protect all of the otherwise exposed areas of the boot sole 12, including its ridged bottom, so that wearing of the sole bottom and accumulations of snow in its grooves 16 are precluded, as well as accumulation of snow in the groove 24.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claim appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a ski boot having a sole and an upper secured upon the sole and inset from the peripheral edge of the sole, the top of the sole outwardly of the upper and the outer side of the upper defining a groove extending around the boot; of a flexible pan-shaped protector having a bottom wall engaged with the bottom of the sole and a sidewall extending upwardly around the peripheral edge of the sole, said sidewall being taller than the thickness of the sole, said sidewall having an originally free upper edge, the upper part of the sidewall being turned laterally inwardly and dovsmwardly and outwardly to define a tube extending around the sidewall, said free edge being secured to the inner surface of the sidewall, and an elastic draw-string enclosed in the tube and contracting said tube in said groove and onto the top of the sole.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 582,082 5/1897 OBrien 367.5 X 2,628,438 2/1953 Luchs 3610 3,040,451 6/ 1962 Hilkemeyer 36-7 .5 3,084,459 4/1963 Colman 36-7.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 562,129 10/1932 Germany. 604,174 10/ 1934 Germany. 51,155 7/1932 Norway.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

' A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner, 

